Crime - Gender Flashcards
(117 cards)
What percentage of arrests are of males?
85%
Indicates that the majority of arrests involve men.
What percentage of the prison population in England and Wales is made up of men?
95%
Highlights the gender disparity in incarceration rates.
What types of crimes are men more likely to commit?
- Violent crimes
- Sexual assaults
- Property offences (e.g., criminal damage, arson, robbery)
Men commit 90% of murders.
What types of offences are women more likely to commit?
- Non-violent offences
- Shoplifting
- T.V. license evasion
Reflects the difference in crime types between genders.
What is the percentage of people arrested that are women?
15%
Indicates the low arrest rate for females.
What theory explains women’s low crime rates due to social roles?
Sex-role theory
Suggests that women are socialized into non-aggressive traits.
What do functionalists and the New Right argue regarding women’s roles?
Women take on the expressive role in the family
This role involves caring for others and domestic responsibilities.
What responsibilities do women have that may limit their involvement in crime?
- Caring for partners
- Caring for children
- Caring for elderly relatives
- Domestic responsibilities (e.g., cooking, cleaning)
These responsibilities may deter women from risk-taking behaviors associated with crime.
What traits are girls socialized into according to sex-role theory?
- Emotional
- Kind
- Conformist
These traits contribute to a more passive role, leading to less criminal behavior.
Who introduced control theory in the context of women’s crime rates?
Heidensohn
Control theory highlights how societal controls limit women’s opportunities to commit crime.
What is a significant factor in the private sphere that limits women’s crime opportunities?
Patriarchal control
This includes responsibilities for housework and childcare.
How does parental control affect girls’ opportunities to commit crime?
- Strict curfews
- Monitoring through tracking apps
These controls result in fewer opportunities for girls to engage in criminal activities.
What is the dual burden faced by women?
Paid work and domestic work
This concept reflects the additional responsibilities women handle.
What is the triple shift that women face?
- Paid work
- Domestic work
- Emotion work
This concept suggests that women have multiple roles that limit their free time.
What societal fear limits women’s involvement in crime outside the home?
Fear of being a victim of sexual violence
This fear discourages women from going out alone at night.
What is the glass ceiling?
An invisible barrier to leadership positions in the workplace
This barrier limits women’s opportunities for committing white-collar crimes.
What is the concept of ‘bedroom culture’ as it relates to girls?
Girls’ social lives tend to revolve around their bedrooms, engaging in activities like chatting online and sleepovers.
This indicates that girls socialize more in private spaces, reducing opportunities for criminal behavior.
How do girls’ socialization patterns differ from boys’?
Girls tend to socialize in the private sphere (at home), while boys are more likely to socialize in the public sphere (outside of the home).
This difference contributes to the likelihood of committing crime.
What do feminists argue about women’s likelihood to offend?
Women are less likely to offend due to fear of social disapproval and societal expectations of feminine behavior.
Women risk being stigmatized or shamed for committing criminal acts.
What is the perspective of Marxist Feminist Carlen on women offenders?
Women offenders are seen as double deviants for breaking the law and violating feminine expectations of behavior.
For example, a woman convicted of fraud is viewed as both a criminal and unfeminine.
What are some societal double standards regarding young women’s behavior?
Young women who have one-night stands are labeled negatively, while young men are encouraged in similar behavior.
Women who drink are judged more harshly than men, who view heavy drinking as a ‘badge of honour.’
What factors may lead to the underestimation of female crime in official statistics?
Female crimes are less likely to be reported, targeted by police, or prosecuted.
This is influenced by gender stereotypes and the perception that women are kind and vulnerable.
What do labeling theorists suggest about women’s criminal behavior?
Women’s actions are less likely to be defined and labeled as criminal due to societal gender expectations.
This results in women being less observed and caught for criminal behavior.
What types of crimes are typically committed by women that may go unreported?
Crimes such as shoplifting are less likely to be reported to the police and are often handled internally by store security.
This contributes to the lack of representation of female crimes in official statistics.